Letter #38 - Cambios a la Costa -10.19.2015
Got ya! JUST KIDDING, but we did go to the coast this week to teach the missionaries and see the hospitals there!
We did not have any idea that we were going to go until Sunday night. This is how our week started... President is calling...
President: "So, Dr. Burton will be arriving tomorrow, right?"
Me: "Yes, we have our first appointment at 1pm in the hospital."
President: "Oh ok and he will be leaving Wednesday, right?"
Me: "Yes, his flight is at 3 on Wednesday"
President: "Ok. Well, I think having you and your companion do the first aid presentation is going really well. I want to invite you and Sister Garcia to come to the Coast and Otavalo with us. How do you feel about that?
Me: "Umm...WE WOULD LOVE THAT! I mean ya, that would be fine. I guess we can fit that into our schedules."
President: "Ok, I just want to tell you that the coast is nothing like Quito. Sometimes the sisters do not have water. It is more dirty than Quito. You will need to make sure that you bring mosquito repellant and sunscreen."
Me: "Ok President. Thank you."
VAMOS A LA COSTA!! WHOOHOO!
The Coast
I was not only excited to be able to see the coast for the first time, but also because we were going to be able to do the presentation more with the missionaires. We left on Wednesday and then we were there till Friday. The bus ride there is 6 hours. The drive was beautiful. Green for miles! The bus was really nice too. The temperature is a whole lot different there than in Quito. It is really hot and humid. The first night I woke up every hour because it was so hot. We even had a fan! The 2nd night, I think I got used to it a little more because I only woke up every 4 hours. haha. We stayed in Esmeraldas with the sister trainers there. I showered putting water in buckets...first time in my life! It was good for me to experience in my life. They are changing houses soon to a house where they have water.
Above are all the sisters in the coast! The other one below with the four of us which all got to Ecuador at the same time!
When we got there, I felt like everyone was looking at me. They would be driving and then look back for as long as they could. I definitely stood out there. I do not think they see blondes very much in the coast. At first, I was really uncomfortable, but I got used to it. It is really poor there. They have a lot of dirt roads there. The food though.... ohhh man! Sooo good! I tried encebollado for the first time. I can't tell you how many times I have heard from missionaries that I have not tried anything until I have tried the encebollado in the coast. They were right, it was sooo good! I also saw the sunset which I haven't seen in a long time! They had a huge river which we asked the taxi driver to stop so we could snap a few pictures! haha.
My first experience of trying ENCEBOLLADO!!! This is a famous fish soup in the coast. I have heard none stop from missionaries that have served in the coast that I HAVE TO TRY the encebollado in the coast! It was true...it was SO GOOD!! The food in general is the best in the coast at least that I have tried yet in the Ecuador! Yummm!
Quininde: These are the taxis that they have here...haha.
Thursday we spend looking at the hospitals there. We also went to Atacames first where we looked a the hospital and went to the beach. It is a rule in our mission that we can't touch the sand, but we didn't know that so we took pictures. We told President though and apologized. He was grateful we told him and I think he understand that I have been in Quito my whole mission, so I didn't know. We didn't have a lot of time to spend there. We were able to take pictures though and eat ice cream at a place that was recommended to us. The hospital in Atacames needs a lot of help. It was super dirty and lets just say I will do everything possible to avoid sending missionaries there. We went to Quinide afterwards. They actually had a pretty reasonable clinic there. Quinide was my companion's first sector. It is a cute little city. After that, we went to the hospitals in Esmeraldas. They have a pretty nice hospital that belongs to the Navy there. We had to renew a contract that we had with them. They were really suspicious of us haha. I don't know who they thought we were. We presented ourselves and explained why we were there, but still they watched us like hawks! Friday, we taught the missionaries about first aid, had lunch with the missionaries, helped President and the assistants clean up then headed home! It was a great few days in the coast!
Ice Cream in Atacames! Atacames is where the beach is! We could see the ocean from here!
Me and Hermana Garcia
Dr. Burton's Visit to Quito
Dr. Burton arrived earlier this week! We had the opportunity to meet him and his wife for the first time Monday. We spent all day Monday and Tuesday then a little of Wednesday with them. Let me tell you, they are WONDERFUL! We talked about the Cardiac ICU (a lot) since we both worked in that area before. Him and his wife met when she worked as an ICU nurse and he was a cardiac surgeon. He would share that with everyone and his wife was always a little embarrassed. We talked about our experiences at the University of Utah, the heart transplant program, and about the surgeons that work there. He knew all of the doctors that I worked with!
All of visits with the doctors at Hospital Metropolitano went really well. We had a little difficultly meeting with one of the doctors. The receptionist thought that we were there selling something even though we presented him. I asked if I could talk to him because if he saw us he would know who we were, but she said no and wouldn't let us through. Dr. Burton left his cards saying that he was a cardiac surgeon. And guess what...I had 3 missed calls within 10 minutes begging us to come back and that they were so sorry. They said they did not understand English (even though we were speaking Spanish the whole time). We thought it was funny. Otherwise, all the doctors were really friendly. When Dr. Burton told the cardiologist that he was a Cardiac Surgeon he said " YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME." Then, when he said and Sister Pemberton is our nurse. She was a Cardiac ICU nurse before her mission. He said "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME". Again! Dr. Burton and I just looked at each other and laughed. It was super funny. When Dr. Burton told the cardiologist that he was going back to Peru Wednesday he said "WHAAAT". "I was going invite you to start doing trainings for the surgeons here and Sister Pemberton to train the cardiac ICU nurses." haha. All the doctors were really happy to meet him and it was a good visit for Dr. Burton.
We had a short meeting with him on Wednesday morning and he actually made me cry! It was with the other mission nurse and our companions. He told us that the Lord was very proud of us for serving. That for the sisters, it is not a commandment to go on a mission. That it was our choice. That he KNEW that Heavenly Father was proud of us. That we were going over and beyond. He told us that our experience in the mission is at least equal to 3 years of medical education. That we will be more than prepared to become a nurse practitioner when we get home because of everything we will learn during our missions. That we are learning and seeing things that we would never see in the States. That we are learning medications and how to educate missionaries. That we are becoming experts on triaging. Plus we are learning medical Spanish that will help us a ton in our futures! He said that there were only 3 Registered Nurses for the 16 missions that he covered and expressed how needed we are. We are really lucky to have him and his wife helping our mission! Just to give you a little idea of his personality and character...after being in the ER until 4am Saturday and only getting 2 hours of sleep...when I called him to tell him that they were going to take the the sister to surgery. He said, "How is she doing? How are the rest of the missionaries? And how is Sister Pemberton?" He was the only person who asked me that...it actually caught me off guard!
First Appendicitis in Ecuador
Saturday I got a call from a Sister that lives in Otavalo. She called with sharp right sided pain. Originally, I did not think it was appendicitis because she had other symptoms that usually were not seen with appendicitis. Also, she has had several occasions in her mission with right sided pain that was due to other things. You can do a test though where you push down and let go. If they have pain when letting go it usually indicates appendicitis. She had that. She came into Quito. We went to the Emergency room. The doctors at first thought the same thing as me and thought that it couldn't be appendicitis. But after doing an echo they saw that the appendix was a little inflammed and diagnosed her with appendicitis. We were in the ER until 4am and then they admitted her. They did surgery in the morning. Everything went well during the surgery and she is doing well now! The Elders brought and blessed the sacrament for us because we were not able to go to church. They also gave her a Priesthood blessing. The Spirit was really strong during both. I am so grateful to have worthy Priesthood holders in my life! She should go home tomorrow!
I am no longer the shortest
Ponderizing Scriptures...
So, I have decided to randomly choose scriptures to ponderize and you would never guess what I picked...
Helaman 13:38
"But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head." It may be blunt and straight forward and the whole office thought it was funny that this was my first scripture to ponderize, but I really have learned so much from this verse and my testimony has grown. There is so much to learn from the scriptures. It has strengthened my testimony of applying the Atonement every. single. day. I just love the scriptures and I love studying them! No wonder it will take us eternities to learn everything!!!
I love you all! Keep praying, reading your scriptures, and going to church! I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers!!! Hope you have a wonderful week! Love you all more than you know!
Love always, Hermana Pemberton
Me and my companion Hermana Garcia
